Hardwood Floor Fix

Tools:

compound miter saw (also known as a chop saw)
pry bar
hammer
nail puller
combination square
grease pencil
circular saw
chisel
power drill
flat-head screwdriver
utility knife
tape measurer
nail set
safety glasses
#4 and #6 nails
tarpaper
hardwood floor replacement pieces

1. Pry off baseboard to expose the damaged area (figure A).

2. Put on the safety goggles and use the nail puller to remove nails holding in the damaged floorboards. Tap down until the tip of the nail puller is just under the head of the nail, then pull nail out (figure B).

3. Use the pry bar to break the seal and pull up damaged boards (figure C).

4. If dealing with tongue-in-groove flooring, decide just how large an area needs to be removed to make a patch. Use the combination square and grease pencil to mark where to make cuts in floor (figure D).

5. Set the circular saw so that it makes cuts just deep enough to go through flooring. As always, put on safety goggles before using power equipment. Start cutting away boards by making a plunge cut. Pull the blade guard back, keeping fingers well away from blade, and place the foot of the saw against the work area (figure E).

6. Start the saw and ease into the floor. Make as many cuts as necessary to get the boards out, then pry up boards.

7. Line the exposed area with tarpaper and cut to fit using a utility knife (figure F).

8. Measure the length of each replacement board needed and cut using the compound miter saw.

9. You'll probably need to cut off the lower lip on the grooved side of some of the floorboards to work them into place (figure G). Just mark the lip on the underside of the board and pop it off using a wood chisel and hammer (figure H).

10. Slide replacement board into place and drill pilot holes into the end, then secure with a couple of #4 nails (figure I).

11. Drive a #6 nail through the tongue of the board to secure it to the subfloor (figure J). Use the nail set to drive the nail below the surface.

12. Continue until all replacement boards are in place, then sand and finish to match existing floor.